unit-code
Sited within the yearly theme of 'Cultural Understanding,' this year, Year 1 MSci students have embarked on a journey of exploration and discovery in the London neighbourhood of Brixton. In response to the year building brief of London Local/e, the students were tasked with critically contemplating the essence of 'locality' and unraveling the spatial and urban characteristics that define a 'locale.'
Throughout the year, the students have studied and responded to a series of complex site conditions, addressing the intricate interplay of social, historical, technological, political and cultural narratives that shape the fabric of Brixton. With a firm understanding of the site and a unique and original personal lens, each student has crafted a building project that reflects their individual perspectives.
Guided by structural and digital skills classes, the projects showcase an ambitious investigation into locality and 'local elements' as key drivers of the project's programme and narrative. They offer a unique reflection on what it means to create an insertion in a part of the city of London that has experienced significant transformations in recent years.
The proposal consists of a market hub, serving as a central point for Brixton, its residents and market traders. The building aims to function as both a connection point and an extension of the on-site train platform and street market.
The project utilises the different levels of the site to create vibrant spaces, enhancing and activating the existing ones, while also addressing the access issues to the train platform.
The design responds to its surroundings and is inspired by them.
The street itself and the train platform serve as references for design, incorporating the temporal nature of the market, the connection to the railway tracks through stand shelter and allowing natural light to filter through delicate openings.
The Peace Cinema is a play on the word 'piece', symbolising the cinema's role as a connecting element between the local community of the surrounding site and the nearby Black archive community.